Goodbyes Aren't Easy
by knockout34
Summary: Megan knew leaving the FBI was the right choice for her, but it hadn't been an easy decision to make. The goodbyes that followed were even harder to face. New Assignment verse.
1. Chapter 1

**Don't own Numb3rs.**

Megan walked into the bullpen to start the day. She was about to say hi to Don when she saw what he was reading. She frowned a little at the envelop. She would have thought the director would have given her a little bit of time to tell her team about her decision to leave before giving Don the official notice. She was leaving in two weeks, but hadn't really wanted to get a head start on the goodbyes, knowing that it would be hard enough. She knew that Don would partly feel that her leaving was his fault seeing as he had crossed the lines several times in the past year. She wasn't mad at him for those times, even understood his point of view more than she probably had appeared to. Though those moments did help her final decision to leave, it wasn't because she felt that she could no longer work for him. She hoped that one day he would understand that.

"Hi," she said shyly to Don as she approached his desk.

"Hey," Don said, smiling weakly up at her. "Anything I can do to change your mind?" he asked, indicating the letter.

"No," she sighed. "I'm sorry. I thought I'd have more time to tell you."

"Hey, it's alright," Don said. "You gotta do what's best for you, I get that."

"Thanks," she said.

"We're going to miss you though, you know that, right?"

Megan laughed, "I know, that's what makes this so hard."

Don stood up and gave her a one-armed hug.

"One more case?" he laughed.

"You bet."


	2. Chapter 2

Megan sat quietly, waiting for her friend to respond to her news. Kailey was staring at her water bottle as she slowly picked at the label, her face blank. Megan suppressed a grin; Kailey hid her emotions well, no doubt a trait handed down by her uncle, especially now as she was spending so much time helping with his recovery. But Megan could see tell-tale signs that her emotional block was slowly breaking down.

"Well," Kailey said finally, "I can't say I'm entirely happy for you."

Megan let out a short laugh at the blunt honesty.

"I didn't expect you to. But, hey," she smiled, giving Kailey a gentle slug in the arm, "you'll be fine. You hold your own pretty well around here with the guys."

"Oh, I'm not worried about work; I know the FBI and you haven't been seeing eye-to-eye. But, why do you have to leave LA?"

Megan sighed. She hadn't been expecting Kailey to take her leaving the FBI so well and focus on the leaving LA part.

"It's my dad, there's some things that need to be….."

"Sorted out," Kailey nodded in understanding. She opened her mouth to say something else, but Megan stopped her by putting a hand up.

"I know," Megan said, not wanting to hear any sort of "I'll miss you" phrase. She didn't know if she'd be able to handle it.

Kailey bit her lip and looked away as Megan blinked away a few tears in her eyes. She had known that, apart from Larry, Kailey would be the hardest goodbye, but that still didn't prepare her for this moment. She couldn't put together a sentence in her head to break the silence that fell between them. Kailey was again picking at the water bottle label.

"You better keep in touch," Kailey said, obviously trying to lighten the mood.

"That's not even a question," Megan said. "And hey, I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone just yet. I'm trying to make the rounds."

"Of course."


	3. Chapter 3

When Larry pulled into Charlie and Alan's driveway, Megan had to shake her head. She really should have seen this coming. She had no idea why she thought that she'd just be able to slip away quietly.

"I was sworn to secrecy," Larry defended himself as he put the car in park. "But I am able to turn right around if you're not up for it."

Megan smiled at him in thanks; he was always looking out for her.

"That's alright. I do think I need this," she said, getting out of the car.

"Just give me the signal if you need to leave," he said.

"What signal?" she laughed.

"I don't know," Larry shrugged. "There isn't a universal FBI signal for you need help?"

"No," she grinned. "But I'll be fine."

They walked up to the front porch and Larry rang the doorbell.

"There you are," Alan greeted with a large smile, standing aside to let them in. The house was same as ever, except for the banner over the dining room table that read 'Good Luck, Megan'. The whole gang had showed up, even Liz. Megan couldn't help but tear up at the sight of her friends wanting to give her one last hurrah before leaving the city.

N3N3N3N3N3

The party went on casually. Megan made sure that she talked to all of her friends for the last time. After dinner, she found herself in the kitchen with Alan, helping him clean up.

"You don't have to help, Megan, this is your party," he told her kindly.

"Thanks, but I think I need a moment," she responded.

"It couldn't have been an easy decision."

"No, not really. Well, at first I was planning on just up and leaving the FBI, find something else here in LA. That wouldn't have been too hard to part from."

Alan nodded in understanding. "But other things came up."

"My dad," she said, "I know things will work out, but it's hard leaving one family for another, blood or not."

"I can't imagine. We're going to miss you around here."

"Thanks, I didn't expect that so many changes were going to take place at the same time."

"Eh, I don't think Charlie security clearance is as big of a deal as they're all making it out to be. He'll get it back; he and Donnie just need to work things out before they take that leap."

"I think so too. It'll work out," she agreed. "I should get back."

"Hey, Megan, you're making the right choice, even if it's hard. Everything will work out for you too."

Megan smiled but couldn't muster up a response. She went back into the dining room where she found Liz sitting at the table.

"Hey," Megan said, sitting down next to her.

"Hey, good luck with everything. You'll keep in touch?"

"Of course," she replied, looking over at the others where Liz was just looking. "You going to be leaving too?"

"I don't know. It's a little hard, you know? But I knew from the beginning it wasn't meant to last. Story of my life."

"Don wants you around, you're a good agent. He never wanted to mess that up."

"I know. And I like Robin too. We get along as good as we can, I think. But no matter what it's still awkward. But I think I'll be around."

"Well, that's good," Amita said, coming over and joining them. "Sorry, I just overheard. But we need to level out the playing field with the boys."

Megan and Liz laughed.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Megan said.

"Hey, so I heard you've officially moved in here," Liz said to Amita.

"Yeah, it's a big step, but it's in the right direction. It's good. Megan, what's going to happen with you and Larry? He was very vague about it."

"We're going to try our best. There's always a lot of conferences out East, so we'll see how it goes."

"What, you guys gossiping over here?" Don joked as he worked his way to the kitchen.

"Maybe," Megan grinned teasingly back.

"Don't like the sound of that," he replied as Liz and Amita got up and rejoined the party. "You going to be okay?" he asked once they left.

"Yeah, I think so."

"Just….call, alright?"

"I will," she smiled. He smiled back before going into the kitchen. She wandered over to where Charlie and Larry were locked in a game of chess.

"You need to go?" Larry asked immediately, standing up.

"No, no, I'm good."

"So where exactly did the counseling women in prison come from?" Charlie asked her, making his next move on the board.

"I don't know, probably just from seeing all the ones we've locked up; I think it's always been in the back of my head."

"I hope you find what you're looking for," he said, looking between her and Larry. "You two seemed to have rubbed off on each other quite a bit."

"For the better, I hope," Larry said. Megan laughed.

N3N3N3N3N3

At the end of the party, Megan found herself standing outside with David, Colby, and Kailey.

"Lots of changes," Colby said, breaking the silence.

"I know, you guys will be okay though," Megan replied.

"It's not us we're worried about," David said.

"I know what I'm doing is the best thing for me," Megan assured them. "I will miss you guys though."

"Us too," Colby said. Megan laughed, but let a few tears slip.

"Megan! I was doing okay," Kailey said, wiping away a few as well. Megan laughed and hugged her friend. Before she knew it, the boys had joined in. When they all separated, Megan dried her checks and sighed.

"We'll see each other again, I promise. And keep me posted on the security clearance mess."

"Of course," Kailey said. Megan gave them all one final hug before joining Larry in his car. She watched in the mirror as both Colby and David put an arm around Kailey as they watched her go. She stayed silent until Larry pulled in front of her apartment.

"You've made a real impact here," he said as she let a few more silent tears fall. "You just have to remember that they've all been positive."

She nodded and leaned on his shoulder.

"That doesn't make it any easier though."

"Not now, but it will, as time goes on. And remember, I'm a phone call away. I can be on the first plane if you need me."

Megan sat up and kissed him.

"Stay tonight?" she half pleaded.

"Of course," he said, brushing the hair out of her face and kissing her again.


End file.
